I've used the GL2068's in weather down to about 50 degrees Fahrenheit with no problems. My hands were unprotected and right out there in the breeze and not behind a fairing. I didn't notice any more air intrusion or that they were any colder than any other winter gloves, so I'm pleased with their performance. The right hand glove has a hook, and the left hand glove has a loop that allows you to connect the two together when you stow them so that they keep each other company to help prevent losing them.

In the faster curves found on the roads of the Angeles National Forest, they were plenty stable. Steering speed, while a touch slower and heavier than other tires in this class, remains acceptably quick, without being twitchy or overly sensitive. With the 929 and its reputation for being a bit lively, a rider may find this to be an asset. Traction was abundant, and allowed regular scraping of the footpegs on the F4i. My 929 is setup not to scrape (on the street) and so while nothing touched down, it is not due to any performance shortage from the tires.

Windshields come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and even shades. Most cruiser motorcycles are sold naked, but many have shield options available for an additional cost from the manufacturer. The aftermarket also teems with first-time windshields or replacements for stock units. And, although there can be countless variations on the theme, just a handful of specialized companies manufacture the bulk of shields sold in the United States.

Rex Marsee has been designing motorcycle apparel and luggage for over 30 years. Before that, he raced motorcycles and was a design engineer for Harley Davidson, so he knows what the enthusiast needs from their gear in the way of features and performance. Rex fitted me up with his newest jacket from the Adventure products line and sent me on my way.

Helmets have really come a long way in the last few years in terms of weight and ventilation and what really struck me most about this hat is the ventilation. Even at speeds as low as 40mph I can feel my hair being blown around inside the helmet when all the vents are open. I'm sure some very complicated engineering went into making the venting system on this helmet including the spoiler thing on the back.

A motorcycle boot must satisfy many expectations in order to be deemed truly functional for the serious rider. For example, its sturdiness must go beyond mere support to actively protect your feet and ankles in the event of a crash.

The boot sole should be contoured to aid traction, and made from a compound that's durable yet tacky enough to grip the pavement. The ideal motorcycle boot isn't easy to find and many factors should be considered before making your purchase.

Being curious folks, we decided to see what pipes were available for our long-term Vulcan 1500 Classic at the tail end of The Year of the Cruiser. The results of our initial query of pipe manufacturers illustrated two facts we were already aware of. First, with six manufacturers sending us pipes for a [motorcycle] that has been on the market for less than a year, we can confidently say that there are more exhaust customizing options than ever available in the Japanese cruiser market. Second, since half of the pipes we tested were either pre-production or first-run production items, things weren't always so rosy in this segment of the market. These thoughts lead us to wonder how these pipes would compare to each other, how well thought-out they were, and if they would fulfill the conflicting demands of good power and good citizenship.